Ribbon spool



April 19, 1966 J. w. H. BISHOP RIBBON SPOOL Filed Aug. 22, 1962 FIG.3

x 'nr/ i ll/lQ/l/l/l/ I'I IOIS IG JOHN W. H. BISHOP INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS 07w yjwz/Ma%@ United States Patent 3,246,729 RIBBON, SPOOL John W. H. Bishop, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Bishop Spools, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 218,725 3 Claims. (Cl. 197175) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 104,705, filed April 21, 1961.

My invention relates to business machine inking ribbon spools and in particular provides ribbon fastening arrangements suitable for fastening relatively wide ribbons.

On wide width ribbons, such as are used on cash registers and machines which print whole plates of material at one time, the ribbon attachment to any spool on which it is wound poses two problems of particular consequence.

The first problem is that of ribbon alignment. The positioning of the ribbon along the length of the spool, which is usually wider than the ribbon, is quite critical, since off positioning causes binding of the ribbon in the guide frames for the ribbon, which can result in folding of the ribbon, and since off positioning can also result in incomplete coverage of the printing plate and consequent printing failure.

The second problem arises where reversing of the ribbon is accomplished by the tension on the ribbon as it pays out to the bitter end. Relatively wide ribbons must be secured across their width at any position of attachment. If a ribbon is not squarely so secured, pull exerted at the position of ribbon attachment is on the bias and hence is exerted entirely at one point on the ribbon rather than across the ribbon. When the strain of tension during reversing is so placed entirely at one point, it can be sufiicient to cause the ribbon tobecome unsecured at such point and to yield, passing the strain to a different point along the position of attachment. Such process can continue with eventual detachment of the ribbon from the spool and frequently results in repeated failure of proper reversing of ribbon winding direction.

A spool commonly used with relative wide inking rIbbons is a flangeless metal tube which is split along its length with reentrant, butting flanges along the edges of the split in the tube. The end of the ribbon is received between such butting flanges, and a second longitudinal split tube of substantially smaller diameter has its split forced over such reentrant flanges (on the interior of the larger tube) to secure them with the ribbon clamped between them.

Such a spool is not entirely satisfactory first, because the ribbon attachment operation is at best difficult to manipulate, and second, because an improper attachment, that is, an attachment in which the ribbon is improperly aligned or is not square, is difficult to correct and usually results in the spool with the improperly attached ribbon being discarded.

It is a principal object of my present invention to provide a spool with ribbon end fastening arrangements suitable for such wide ribbons which will obviate the difficulties heretobefore encountered both in providing proper alignment of the ribbon with respect to the length of the spool and proper distribution of the load under tension across the width of the ribbon.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide such a device in which the difficulties heretofore experienced in attaching the ribbon end to a spool will be obviated to the extent that the ribbon will be selfaligning as it is attached and that attachment of the ribbon is reduced to a simple manipulative operation avoiding the difficulties inherent in force-fitting a locker tube to close a split cylinder spool.

3,246,729 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 It is still a further object of my present invention to provide such a spool and ribbon end fastening arrangements which can be readily molded using a synthetic thermoplastic resin or the equivalent, preferably as a unitary construction.

To these ends I provide in an inking ribbon spool having a hollow tubular hub having a pair of ribbon fasteners which are disposed spaced from each other arcuately about the hub. Each fastener basically includes a slot in the hub having a length along the hub equal to the length of the ribbon to be secured. Each such slot is substantially closed by a pair of tongues disposed in the slot aligned lengthwise of the hub and secured to the hub at their remote ends with their free ends confronting such that the open space of the slot resembles the letter H and thus each slot includes a pair of parallel slits in the hub centrally interconnected by an open portion in the hub. Preferably a portion of the hub structure extends across the central open portion of each slot from opposite parallel edges of the slot forming a rib further to reduce the open portion of each ribbon fastener, such that the slotted portion of the hub at each fastener defines a pair of U-shaped slits having their sides aligned lengthwise of the hub with their bottoms adjacent.

The end of the ribbon to be attached is formed into a loop, and the bight of the loop is then slipped between the confronting tongues of one ribbon fastener and into the parallel slits such that the bight of the loop then underlies the two confronting tongues with an end of the ribbon exiting each of the parallel slits. The longer end of the ribbon (that which is to be connected to another spool) is then wound over the shorter end and about the hub to the position of the second fastener where the two ribbon pieces are then slipped under the two confronting tongues of such fastener and the ribbon is then pulled taut and winding continued.

For a more complete understanding of the practical application of my invention reference is made to the appended drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cabinet view of an inking ribbon spool provided with ribbon fastening arrangements in accordance with my present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section taken at lire 22 in FIGURE 1 further showing the manner in which a ribbon is secured to the spool; and FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section taken at line 33 in FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates a spool typically employed on business machines using ribbons wider than A2" or and which, as Will be observed, is simply a flangeless hub or tube. Preferably tube 10 in accordance with my present invention is fabricated of a thermoplastic resinous material such as nylon. In the illustrated case, it will be observed at one end tube 10 is conventionally provided with a pair of notches 11 disposed 180 apart for receiving pins on an idler hub of the business machine while the other end of tube 10 is internally provided with a pair of bosses 12, also disposed 180 apart, for keying tube 10 to the hub of a drive spindle on the business machine.

In accordance with my present invention, spool, i.e. tube, 10 is provided with a pair of ribbon fasteners, generally designated by the reference numeral 15, which are disposed on center lines lengthwise of tube 10 spaced apart. The choice 120 spacing is largely dictated by convenience since only a small rotation of tube 10 is required to wind a ribbon from one fastener to the other. (Some machines employ wide inking ribbons using tubular spools mounted on an internally received spindle. In these, the spindle is provided with recesses extending lengthwise of the spindle where it receives a spool. Such recesses are disposed at 120 intervals, and accordingly the 120 spacing of the fasteners on spools for such machines is imperative.)

It will be noted that each fastener 15 is identical to the other and is formed in tubular hub by providing a rectangular slot 16 having a pair of opposite edges extending lengthwise of hub 10 a distance equal to the width of the inking ribbon R which is to be received on spool 10 and which are parallel to the axis of spool 10. Slot 16 is substantially closed by a pair of aligned tongues 17 positioned in slot 16 which are secured at their remote ends to the ends of slot 16 such that slot 16 is reduced to parallel slits defined in each case between a longitudinal edge of slot 16 and a lateral edge of tongue 17 and an open space between the adjacent ends of tongues 17 which confront each other. Generally the appearance of the fastening device is of a slot of the shape of the letter H.

To facilitate insertion of ribbon R beneath tongues 17 as will be described later, the confronting ends of tongue 17 are spaced from each other and the drawings illustrate this spacing. In such case supporting structure for the ribbon portion lying between the spaced tongues should be provided, and, as illustrated, slot 16 is divided in half by a rib 18 extending across each slot 16 between the confronting ends of tongues 17. Further to facilitate insertion of ribbon R the edges of rib 18 adjacent tongues 17 are chamfered.

As can be seen best in FIGURE 2 the entire structure is preferably molded such that tongues 17 and rib 18 fall into the general cylindrical contour of tube 10.

In securing an inking ribbon R in spool 10 the end of the ribbon is preferably looped by holding the spool with one fastener facing the operator and with the shorter end of the loop extending from that fastener toward the second fastener 15 which is positioned such that it is 120 removed rather than 240 removed from the initial fastener 15 in the direction of fall of the short end of ribbon R. The bight of the loop is then inserted beneath tongues 17 by slipping the ribbon edges at the bight of the loop one under each tongue 17. Holding the ribbon taut the tube is then rotated to cause the shorter underlying and longer overlying ribbon pieces to fall across the second fastener 15 where the edges of the ribbon are again slipped beneath tongues 17 such that the ribbon falls in the position shown more clearly in FIG- URE 2. Winding is then continued rotating spool 10 or ribbon R.

I claim:

1. In an inking ribbon spool having a hollow tubular hub and a pair of ribbon fasteners on said hub arcuately spaced apart, the improvement in which each said ribbon fastener includes: means defining a slot in said hub having a pair of opposite edges parallel to the axis of said hub and a pair of tongues disposed in and substantially closing said slot aligned lengthwise of said hub and secured to said hub at their remote ends with their free ends confronting such that said slot is reduced to parallel slits defined in each case between one of said opposite edges of said slot and said tongues and an open space between the confronting free ends of said tongues, the external portions of said tongues coinciding with the general external contour of said hub.

2. The improvement according to claim 1 in which each said fastener further includes a rib extending across said slot between said confronting ends of said tongues.

3. The improvement according to claim 1 in which said fasteners are disposed 120 apart on said hub.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 519,889 5/1894 Harris 24-198 2,137,502 11/ 1938 Nerwin 242-74 2,468,767 5/ 1949 Lloyd 24274 X 2,600,409 6/ 1952 Lippert 242-74 X FOREIGN PATENTS 991,991 6/1951 France.

476,201 5/ 1929 Germany.

673,012 3/1939 Germany.

346,367 6/ 1960 Switzerland.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Examiner. 

1. IN AN INKING RIBBON SPOOL HAVING A HOLLOW TUBULAR HUB AND A PAIR OF RIBBON FASTENERS ON SAID HUB ARCUATELY SPACED APART, THE IMPROVEMENT IN WHICH EACH SAID RIBBON FASTENER INCLUDES: MEANS DEFINING A SLOT IN SAID HUB HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITE EDGES PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID HUB AND A PAIR OF TONGUES DISPOSED IN AND SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSING SAID SLOT ALIGNED LENGTHWISE OF SAID HUB AND SECURED TO SAID HUB AT THEIR REMOTE ENDS WITH THEIR FREE ENDS CONFRONTING SUCH THAT SAID SLOT IS REDUCED TO PARALLEL SLITS DEFINED IN EACH CASE BETWEEN ONE OF SAID OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID SLOT AND SAID TONGUES AND AN OPEN SPACE BETWEEN THE CONFRONTING FREE ENDS OF SAID TONGUES, THE EXTERNAL PORTIONS OF SAID TONGUES COINCIDING WITH THE GENERAL EXTERNAL CONTOUR OF SAID HUB. 